[Bolt]

A lot of stories on the news going round today that the rubber in artificial turf could contain carcinogens that cause cancer. Two different girls soccer players, who played goalie and spent a lot of time on the turf both ended up with the same cancer. Hodgkin's Lymphoma.


What say you?


If they ever do prove this and make schools remove turf, think of how much that would cost!


http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigatio...ys-n220166

[topnotch]

Turf is to expensive not cost effective, take the price of admission, Vs cost of turf, it is just not cost effective.

[panther nation]

Personally I can't stand turf! I think they should ban it all together. It's harder on the joints of the body. Think about it until they started using turf how many times did you ever heard of someone have turf toe?? It been proven you will have more knee injuries on turf than grass. Not only that grass won't skin you up like turf does when you slid across it.

To me the games where made to be played on grass not turf!!!

[Granny Bear]

Turf isn't good for mud puddles either!! I remember one time when I was a Senior, we played Middlesboro and it was sloppy outside. Before that game was over, it was difficult to tell one team from the other......everybody was an earthy brown!

nicker:

[baseball1974]

Personally I can't stand turf! I think they should ban it all together. It's harder on the joints of the body. Think about it until they started using turf how many times did you ever heard of someone have turf toe?? It been proven you will have more knee injuries on turf than grass. Not only that grass won't skin you up like turf does when you slid across it.

To me the games where made to be played on grass not turf!!!

"Turf Toe" is just the name for it. Its pretty common to get on natural grass as well. However, artificial turf poses a lot of safety concerns that are unnecessary and could be prevented.

The older turf surfaces have been known to have a lot lead in them. Excessive exposure to lead can result anything from severe mental retardation, stunted growth and even death.

Another is exposure to zinc. They've associated to the high levels of zinc with the "crumb rubber" that mixed in the turf. They have also seen where the water in areas closest to the turf had high levels of zinc from the runoff. The exposure can result in a lot of heart issues.

The shredded rubber can also contain traces of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and selenium, which are all highly toxic.

When an artificial field drains after a heavy rain, the run-off (which may contain lead and infill material) could leak into and contaminate a community's ground and drinking water.
Increased MRSA risk. Open skin lesions (so-called "turf burns") put athletes at increased risk of MRSA. Athletes who use synthetic turf are seven times more likely to receive turf burns than those who play on natural grass. These open lesions are often the source of contracting and vehicle for spreading dangerous infections.

Turf is overall a bacterial breeding ground. They have found that staphylococci has been traced back to the rubber mixed in with the turf as well.

It can also have adverse affects on asthmatics. Breathing in dust of ground-up tires could exacerbate breathing problems for asthmatics.

Also, once a community goes with artificial turf, it has no choice but to install another artificial turf field when the first one needs to be replaced because once plastic replaces natural grass, it kills any living organism in the subsoil making it impossible without years of soil remediation to grow anything on that surface.


These are the health issues surrounding turf. As far as a playing surface, I would rather have a natural field any day. I know its more work and turf cuts down the overall upkeep costs, but I may just be old and that's why I like it more. There is nothing better than having a team work on a field all fall and then get to see the final result of their hard work on opening day, but that's in baseball. As far as football goes, I think the increase in injuries is a red flag, and I also think the fact that is on average 40 degrees hotter on a turf surface than what the temperature shows, which on hot days can really affect the players negatively.

[E's Army]

Very informative. Appreciate the post.

[Pantherfan59]

Everything causes cancer anymore. Eating a chip sideways, leading with the left foot, folding laundry with your left hand. Wish they'd find a cure for this vile sickness already.

[Pantherfan59]

Extremely informative post. Thank you, good sir.

[Westside]

I prefer grass.

[Dawgfan123]

Very good post. I also prefer , GRASS.

[topnotch]

I love the team playing on turf, however, I think for 5 games at the most you will play on it in one season, the life of it being 10 years. Education money could have a better results somewhere else.

[Pirate4Life]

I love CAM stadium and its turf but I must admit that Vipperman stadium and its natural grass had an aura and feel that CAM does not have. There is something "fun" about playing on a muddy , nasty, and gritty field; knowing if you hit someone hard enough they will slide 6 yards. I wished Belfry would play 1 game a year at Vipperman.

[oneijoe]

Artificial surfaces, IMO, are used out of necessity.

Agree with all the reason for grass, but a natural field can't hold up to such heavy use from late summer through the fall without turning into a mud pit. But worse than the mud is when it dries or freezes and creates a slick, dusty clay pot-like surface (esp. here in EKY). That isn't good for anyone.


:popcorn:

[Cellking]

Artificial surfaces, IMO, are used out of necessity.

Agree with all the reason for grass, but a natural field can't hold up to such heavy use from late summer through the fall without turning into a mud pit. But worse than the mud is when it dries or freezes and creates a slick, dusty clay pot-like surface (esp. here in EKY). That isn't good for anyone.


:popcorn:

Agree, I like grass more, but in certain situations turf is the answer. Some schools are well served with turf because of like of grass space. McCreary Central being one. The High School and Middle School and Band, Girls Soccer all practice and play games on High School field. We would benefit from turf. We will never spend the money to have it, so we will play in the mud.:Thumbs:

[RunItUpTheGut]

I despise turf. Never liked playing on it, and always seemed like it was easier to get twisted up on.
A big problem I think is the cleats worn on these high school turfs. Schools cannot afford to buy both good cleats for grass and cleats for turf. Anyone who has been on or around turf knows the difference.
You see kids all the time playing away games on turf wearing the big old style football cleats and its dangerous. Whitley is the only school in there district without turf now, and I would much prefer they never change.

As topnotch said, it is NOT cost effective either. To expensive and when it wears out, where does the new money come from?

[Do-double-gg]

Everything causes cancer anymore. Eating a chip sideways, leading with the left foot, folding laundry with your left hand. Wish they'd find a cure for this vile sickness already.

This^ A lot of so called experts were sitting one day and realized how unnecessary they are so they conveniently come up with new things that they think can cause cancer every day. The funny thing is that some things have changed over the years from safe to cancer causing numerous times. Ever notice that every new thing they come up with, they always say that no tests have been done to confirm it and then you never hear about it again.


:pondering:

[nky]

:popcorn:

I despise turf. Never liked playing on it, and always seemed like it was easier to get twisted up on.
A big problem I think is the cleats worn on these high school turfs. Schools cannot afford to buy both good cleats for grass and cleats for turf. Anyone who has been on or around turf knows the difference.
You see kids all the time playing away games on turf wearing the big old style football cleats and its dangerous. Whitley is the only school in there district without turf now, and I would much prefer they never change.

As topnotch said, it is NOT cost effective either. To expensive and when it wears out, where does the new money come from?

New turf you don't need special shoes cleats can be worn on both. Now the turf from the 70's and 80's you had to hqve special turf shoes